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Ecotricity

If you’re concerned about Climate Change, and don’t think the big energy providers are committed enough to cleaning up their act, then Ecotricity could be the supplier for you. The world’s first ‘Green Electricity’ company, Ecotricity played a major part in kick-starting a movement that has now gone global, and the company currently boasts over 50,000 customers across the country. Ecotricity is currently the only supplier investing in brand new sources of renewable energy, and has also pioneered the idea of ‘Green Gas’, which uses food waste to create gas that is added to the national gas grid. What’s more, the company has no shareholders and pays no dividends, and chooses instead to invest profits into further developments in green technology. Ecotricity’s energy mix can be broken down as follows:

Renewable 54.1%

Natural Gas 24%

Coal 17.5%

Nuclear 2.6%

Other 1.8%

As well as playing a key role in the construction of new renewable energy sources, Ecotricity also owns and operates an Eco Lab, which they use to research and develop the green technologies of tomorrow. Rather than limit themselves, Ecotricity is working to make an impact in the sectors of Transport and Food as well as Energy, which together account for over 80% of the UK’s total carbon emissions. As well as developing better sources of renewable energy, Ecotricity has also built the Nemesis, an electric super car that harnesses the power of the wind. On top of that, the company has developed the world’s first national network of charging points for electric vehicles – known as the Electric Highway – and is also currently working on innovations in green farming technology.

Tariffs for consumers

With such high levels of investment in cutting-edge green technology, you might expect Ecotricity’s tariffs to be more expensive than their competitors. However, this isn’t the case – Ecotricity currently price match the standard rates of the big energy providers, and provide award-winning customer service to boot. The company currently offers two consumer electricity tariffs, and one gas tariff, although you can opt for dual-fuel supply as well.

New Energy is Ecotricity’s standard electricity tariff, which provides you with a combination of ‘green’ and ‘brown’ energy. Although Ecotricity generate electricity from 100% renewable sources themselves, they don’t produce enough electricity to cover the entire energy consumption of their customer base. As such, they have to top-up supply with ‘brown’ energy from the wholesale market, which comes from traditional sources. However, the majority of your energy will come from Ecotricity’s own renewable reserves, and as the company continues to grow, they’ll need to buy in less and less energy from outside. You can pay your bills by Direct Debit, card or cash, and you’ll also be able to enter meter readings online, which makes sure that your bills are accurate and up to date.

If you don’t like the idea of falling back on ‘brown’ energy, and don’t mind paying a little bit extra, then New Energy Plus could be the right tariff for you. Although you’ll still receive most of your electricity from Ecotricity’s renewable sources, top ups on this tariff will come from green sources as well, which makes it 100% environmentally friendly. Due to the emerging nature of renewable energy, it’s a little more expensive for Ecotricity to buy from the wholesale market, which is why this tariff is a little more expensive. However, it will only cost the average household roughly £20 extra per year, so if you’re happy to put your money where your principles are, then this is the tariff for you.

Ecotricity also offer a Green Gas tariff, which works in much the same way as New Energy. As Green Gas is a relatively recent innovation, it will currently make up only a small part of your overall gas supply, with the rest coming from traditional sources. However, the green component will increase over time as the technology becomes more advanced and more widespread, and with this tariff, you’ll have the peace of mind of knowing that your gas supply is as environmentally friendly as it could possibly be.